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3232The Hydrology of Nailseahttp://www.nailseanature.org.uk/2017/02/06/hydrology-nailsea-terry/
Mon, 06 Feb 2017 17:49:02 +0000http://www.nailseanature.org.uk/?p=614Water is essential for our lives, and until the coming of mains water to Nailsea in 1905 the daily chores of our ancestors were centred on the collection of water for food preparation and washing, as is still the case in many countries across the world. Prior to the 20th century the inhabitants of Nailsea would collect enough water to last the day, a task often assigned to the children. Wraxall Mill was one place where water was freely available....

Water is essential for our lives, and until the coming of mains water to Nailsea in 1905 the daily chores of our ancestors were centred on the collection of water for food preparation and washing, as is still the case in many countries across the world. Prior to the 20th century the inhabitants of Nailsea would collect enough water to last the day, a task often assigned to the children. Wraxall Mill was one place where water was freely available. Children would be sent there with buckets before going to school to collect water from the Land Yeo, using steps built into the bridge. We now turn on the tap, often forgetting that there were those who were – and many worldwide who still are – unable to have such a luxury.In 1843 at the time when Christ Church was being built in Nailsea, most water was drawn from wells. It is doubtful if any house could claim to have a bathroom at that time. Some of the affluent may have had a stone sink and conditions were mostly rather unhygienic. Even now, at least one billion people still live in this way and are unable to access clean water (www.wateraid.org/uk).

In 1843 at the time when Christ Church was being built in Nailsea, most water was drawn from wells. It is doubtful if any house could claim to have a bathroom at that time. Some of the affluent may have had a stone sink and conditions were mostly rather unhygienic. Even now, at least one billion people still live in this way and are unable to access clean water (www.wateraid.org/uk).

Map reproduced from Rutter’s Delineations (1829) showing the topography and geology of Nailsea

Closer to home, our insatiable demand for energy now extends to the exploitation of gas shale deposits in proximity to sources of underground water. Hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’ is a method used to exploit unconventional sources of gas, such as shale gas and coal bed methane. Such methods can cause contamination of this water (from additives or from the natural compounds found in the shale) and for this reason it is important that we understand the underground flow patterns. Concerns have already been raised that this controversial process could pose a threat to Bath’s world famous hot springs. Similar considerations apply to the leakage from landfill sites, and particularly now in regard to the proposed deposition of asbestos waste at Stowey Quarry on the Mendips.

In writing this short article I have tried to summarize the history of the water supply to Nailsea and the surrounding area. In doing this I have received much assistance from local residents, and from those in statutory organizations, some of whom are listed at the end of this article. Without their help, this article would have been greatly diminished.

Geology

Environment Agency remote monitoring station on the Land Yeo at Wraxall House ST483715

The community of Nailsea arose on a small hill surmounting the coal measures in the valley formed between the rivers Kenn and Land Yeo, (Yeo is the old local name for ‘river’) both draining westwards towards the sea. The River Kenn joins the Blind Yeo which enters the sea to the south of Wain’s Hill in Clevedon, and the Land Yeo enters the sea a short distance to the north, after flowing through Clevedon. The Tickenham ridge lies to the north of Moorend Spout, and the Backwell hills are to the south. In the 1700s, much of the land was a wild marsh (or moor), and of little value for agriculture. The Romans tried to drain this land, but in the last 200 years much more effort was made, mainly by the construction of the rhynes, and by laying underground land drains. This work was closely associated with the enclosures of the early 19th century. (A rhyne, pronounced ‘reen’, is a minor man-made watercourse, draining into a river. It is probably closely related to the word ’Rhine’, the main river in Germany.)

Gauge at Jacklands Bridge marked at 10 cm intervals ST 469 717

Rain water falling on the limestone ridges percolates through the rocks until it reaches the relatively impermeable Pennant Sandstone (this is named after the place in Wales where this sandstone is found), when it appears as springs. Around Nailsea there are also deposits of impervious clay, which can contract on drying, causing structural instability to the foundations of buildings. Rain falling on hills may travel a long distance before it emerges. It is said that some of the water in our local springs originates in Wales, while the water in the springs at Bath probably comes from the Mendips, and is most likely to be between 6,000 and 10,000 years old (The Hot Springs of Bath; BANES)

Engine house at Middle Engine Pit. The tank on top of the tower was used to store water for the Elms private house. ST 482 706

Similar geological limestone (karst) landscapes give rise to caves on the Mendips eroded by the flow of water. Flint implements dating to the Mesolithic about 8000 years ago have been found in springs in Towerhouse Wood. The prehistoric seasonal encampment in the field to the south of that Wood probably depended on those springs for a supply of fresh water, while food in the form of fish and wildfowl would have been abundant.

The water supply to Nailsea

Well at Youngwood House Farm ST 4706 6907

For Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, the Ashton Court Estate provided a water supply to its farms, generally to the east of Tickenham Church, from the bore hole at Tickenham Mill. It became polluted (possibly post-WWII) and all water now comes from Clevedon. Some is pumped to the tanks which now belong to Bristol Water on Cadbury Camp Lane (the wind pump now gone) to serve the eastern part of the Lane.

Pump at Youngwood House Farm

During the war and for a time afterwards Georges Brewery in Bristol delivered beer by steam driven lorries, replenishing their tanks on the north side of Jacklands Bridge; The bridge was replaced after the war. Mains water was laid to Tickenham in 1936, and prior to that, water was obtained from wells and also from the ‘whirly pool’ near Moorend Spout, which the children called ‘Morning Spout’. (Tickenham Domesday Festival, 1986, page 26) The precise location of this source is not known although it may refer to the waterfall (sluice). Wraxall was connected to the water mains in 1911.

Well capstone from Nowhere, was at ST482 704, demolished 1965, now at Moorside Farm , ST 482 694.(Photograph by Mike Thomas; by courtesy of Frank Smith).

When the Severn Tunnel was cut, a large flow of water was encountered in 1879 which had to be diverted, and much is now pumped out of the tunnel and used in Wales. It seems that this may have changed the behaviour of many of the springs around Nailsea. The flow in some of the springs in the locality was said to be greatly reduced, including those in Towerhouse Wood. However, in view of the distance, it seems more likely that the springs in this area would arise from water falling on the Tickenham Ridge.

Well in the front garden of a house in Heath Road (ST 47443 71058).(photograph by courtesy of Lin and Mel Capon).

The water levels of the Land Yeo are monitored visually by the Environment Agency in the vicinity of Nailsea at Jacklands Bridge and on land belonging to Tickenham Court, and there is a remote sensor at the head of the Birdcombe Valley opposite Wraxall Mill.

Cap of well in the garden of Heath House (photograph by courtesy of Jeanne and Gerald Wood) ST 47597 70948

The deeds of Wraxall House were unfortunately destroyed by flood in a Bedminster bank vault in 1968 and some of these issues may never be resolved (see Mills on the Land Yeo – Further Discoveries by Ruth Poole, Norma Knight, Phyllis Horman, Jane Lilly and Wilfred Rew 2006).

The well in the garden of Heath Cottage is about 20 meters deep with the water table normally at about 10 meters below ground level, although it has been known to rise close to the surface. The sides of the well are colonized by Hart’s Tongue Fern (Phyllitis scolopendrium).

Water analysis in Jacklands Rhyne –

Survey Date

mg/L P

Dissolved oxygen Percent

Conductivity μSiemens/cm

p H

20 Jan 2012

0.10

79

755

7.74

27 Jan 2012

0.05

79

780

7.82

14 Feb 2012

0.14

116

801

7.60

21 Feb 2012

0.13

89

820

7.64

28 Feb 2012

0.22

109

812

7.59

02 Mar 2012

0.54

105

838

7.50

06 Mar 2012

1.05

107

817

7.62

08 Mar 2012

0.40

105

823

7.66

13 Mar 2012

0.20

82

798

7.55

(Kate Pressland: AWT)
Data from the Environment Agency

Watercourses of ‘Good Ecological Status’ have phosphorus 0.12mg/L P or lower. This standard was achieved on only two of the sampling dates.

A scum often forms on the surface of Jacklands Rhyne, lasting usually about 2 weeks.

Under the microscope the scum was somewhat bacterial, but there were also diatoms (Closterium) and some filamentous algae (Spirogyra and Zygnema) in addition to rotifers and other protozoa. This is probably due to an increased nutrient status of the water, mainly associated with a high phosphate level due to pollution in the upper reaches of the rhyne.

Wells

Many wells have been sunk to access water, but some owners were disappointed. Most of the wells were unreliable and tended to dry up after periods without rain. Great prominence was given to the positions of wells on the ordnance survey map of 1884 (see page 1). A deep well was dug in the garden of a house in Silver Street without finding water. The owners collected rainwater from the roof of the house, storing it in a tank under the kitchen prior to the arrival of mains water. This house is on the south side of Silver Street near the Methodist Church with the garden sloping towards Meadway Avenue, which runs along the side of the shallow valley that becomes more pronounced along Rock Avenue, nearer to the Butcher’s Arms. It may have been a water course before it was built up (David Stacey, personal communication).

In 1914 a report by Dr W.G. Savage said that 85 houses in Nailsea were supplied by Bristol Water, 20 by a private company owned by W.H.Shepstone (Buckland’s well in coal measures) and 50 from a spring. The mine shaft which was exposed in 1998 at Engine Pit on land adjacent to the Garden of Rest (see photograph) was used as the source of water for nearby houses (Pennant 30 p.7).

Pond on the Elm Farm development Number 12 in the pond list – ST 4867 7101

A well sunk close to Youngwood Farm is still open, surmounted by the original pump probably made in 1875. The cylinder may still be in the well, the pump head actuating the plunger by a connecting rod which may be seen in the photograph.

There were at least two wells on Harry Wyatt’s farm. One of these was probably somewhere in Valley Gardens (possibly in Valley Close) where there is now an electricity sub-station. This was about 60 feet deep and the pump at the bottom of the well was wind-powered. This was replaced with a long canvas belt that had pockets in it and was driven by an electric motor. Once at the surface, the water was electrically pumped to the milking parlour and was also used to fill the ponds when they were low. The belt broke quite frequently and had to be removed for repair. This was difficult as the hook lowered down the well to retrieve the belt used to snag on the old windmill-operated pump that remained at the bottom of the well (David Stacey, personal communication).

Map dated 1886 showing the line of the pipe leading from the Birdcombe Valley to the Brewery in Nailsea

The wells in Tickenham to the north of Moorend Spout (in the farms – Hales, Wellhouse, Batch, and Luggards Cross) may be connected by an underground stream, although there is no firm evidence for this. If so, this may be the same underground source that feeds the borehole and well that is operated by Bristol Water near to Clevedon Court. The borehole at Wraxall Service Station ST 4800 7111, made in about 2002 to supply water to the car wash, has not been known to run dry. It is about 50m deep and works with a submersible electric pump. A borehole at Chelvey ST 4737 6795 supplies a significant amount of water for domestic consumption.

Clearing one of the ponds in the carr at Moorend Spout. (A carr is a wet woodland, usually with willow and alder). This pond is more like a swamp and it can be dangerous! ST 4661 7154

A photograph taken in about 1912 looking along Silver Street from outside Four Oaks School shows a wind pump on the market garden that was run by Cliff Bougourd who had the greengrocers that now belongs to Ashley Olsen (‘Nailsea Village Institute’, Christine Milton, 1995). The well sunk in 1900 was about 60 feet deep. The pump was dismantled in 1921/22.

Several water towers were built to provide a head of water for local domestic supply, but few of these remain. The engine house at Middle Engine Pit (closed ca 1850) was used to support a cistern to supply water to the nearby house known as the Elms. One at Vyne’s Farm was recently destroyed during the construction of the Elms Development in Wraxall. A converted engine house from the remains of the Buckland’s Batch pit on the corner of Trendlewood and Station Road also housed a water cistern.

Remains of the pipe ducting water from Knightswood spring in Birdcombe valley to Nailsea ST 475 717

The water supply at Tyntesfield was obtained from the spring at Watercress Farm ST 502 707 using pumps powered by two overshot water wheels, one in the spring and the other in the Land Yeo. After connection to the mains, only one of these pumps was powered, using electricity for irrigation water on the estate.

During surveys for the proposed Westbury development to the NW of Nailsea, trial boreholes led to an outflow of water at ST 464 712 (above the 10m contour) and at ST 459 706, between the 5 and 10m contours.

During the construction of the Elms housing estate, a flow of water was found issuing from the ground, which may have been coming from a disused mine (ST 483 708).

Ponds

‘Heath mineral water’ bottleFound in the garden of a house in Friendship Road ‘Heath Mineral Water – Nailsea’ ST 4760 7099

List of locally significant ponds1) Trendlewood Park in Pennant Sandstone Quarry. This is an ephemeral pond, unlike the pond

Trendlewood Park in Pennant Sandstone Quarry. This is an ephemeral pond, unlike the pond in the nearby private garden, part of the same quarry, which is permanent. ST 4796 7026

Backwell Lake (an artificial balancing lake, introduced to prevent flooding from the river Kenn) constructed in 1974. This is a good place to see water birds. ST 4775 6950

At Nailsea School ST 4743 7053 the pond is fed by the runoff from the local car parks. Surplus water is ducted below the police station and it emerges some distance away

Stockway North Nature Reserve (SNNR, an artificial pond with a butyl liner). ST 4715 7086 was installed by the Avon Wildlife Trust and the Friends of SNNR in 2001 and funded by a grant from Bristol Zoo Gardens Millennium Awards for Conservation.

Nailsea Ponds – Borrow Pits excavated in 1841 to provide fill material for the railway embankment. These are traversed by a public footpath but are in private ownership and used as fish ponds. ST 4708 6875

Water pumped from the Land Yeo was stored in a reservoir adjacent to the Friendship Inn, (white tower tothe left)

Pond on the Elm Farm development in Wraxall parish. The water here is quite turbid. This pond is owned and managed by North Somerset Council. ST 4867 7101. The pond is shown as being rectangular on the 1885 25″/mile OS map so it seems that it was purpose built and was not a quarry

The spring marked on the Ordnance Survey map in the SE of Nailsea close to Backwell Lake (Pathfinder 1182) at ST 479 695, which is in a private garden, seems to have a high concentration of iron. This has been incorporated into a large artificial pond.

Stone engraved with ‘Jubilee’ now built into a wall at the Friendship Inn. This was at the top of the water tower.

In 1910 -18 there were two bathing pools, one in the river to the west of Towerhouse Farm (Birdcombe Farm?) and another about 1 metre deep, as a flood hatch (sluice) in an enclosure near to Tickenham Church. A third was at Nailsea Court, with a spring diving board and where the facilities were very good. There is a reed bed contained in a grasscovered rectangular bund at ST 4860 7125 near to the old lime kiln. It appears to be a water drain feature having a grilled inlet and outlet (into the Land Yeo?) the two being joined by a concrete channel.

There is a reed bed contained in a grasscovered rectangular bund at ST 4860 7125 near to the old lime kiln. It appears to be a water drain feature having a grilled inlet and outlet (into the Land Yeo?) the two being joined by a concrete channel. Presumably the reed bed is to absorb any water that overflows the channel. This feature does not appear on the current 1/50000 or 1/25000 maps and not on the larger scale maps up to 1961, but it is very clearly shown on Google maps. It may have been part of the development of the Elms housing estate.

Flooding in coal mines

Flooding was a problem with the coal mines in Nailsea, and was one of the factors that eventually made them unprofitable. Often 10% of the coal mined was used to fuel water pumps. Other constraints were imposed by the narrowness of the seams, and the availability of inexpensive Welsh coal.

Many of the mines had large steam engines installed with the prime purpose of preventing submergence. This could have tragic consequences. The owner of one pit in Nailsea (Double Screen) accused the owners of Farler’s pit of trespass, but Farler’s pit gave a truculent denial, whereupon the manager at Double Screen pit stopped pumping, allowing water to enter Farler’s, drowning two men (quoted from an undated letter by Basil Greenhill). One of the men (John Wright) left a wife and six children. The bodies could not be retrieved and the parson read the burial service at the pit head.

Powered pumps for the supply of water to Nailsea

Thatcher’s brewery was founded in 1740, operating on the site now occupied by Heath Road and Friendship Road. Glass blowing is an occupation in which there is a need to replenish water lost due to the heat of the furnaces. The brewery therefore flourished when the glass works were established in 1788 by supplying drinks to the glass workers. The Glasshouse Inn was therefore established to serve the workers, and 70 years later the name was changed to ‘The Friendship’. The brewery also produced lemonade with the slogan ‘Heath for Health’. Several bottles have been recovered on the site bearing the name ‘Heath Mineral Water Nailsea’. The local glassworks had closed in 1873 and these bottles marked JL&Co appear to come from John Lumb of Castleford, Yorkshire. A water pump powered by an undershot wheel in the flow of the Land Yeo was installed at Knightswood spring in the Birdcombe Valley by Thatcher’s brewery at a cost of £200 in ca 1850. A small steam engine was used to pump the water when the flow in the river was insufficient. A pipe was laid to carry the water to Nailsea and way-leave was offset by allowing access to the water in three of the fields traversed by the pipe. Some of the pipe work still remains in the river in the Birdcombe Valley (see photograph), and there have been reports of the pipe being exposed when foundations were put in for the houses on the estates in Woodland Road in 1969.

There was a large cistern (now destroyed, see photograph) next to the Friendship Inn in 1968. It seems that this was built as a tribute to Queen Victoria for the storage of the water that was sourced from the Land Yeo (Basil Greenhill, in ‘Old Nailsea’ 1959). Any water that the brewery did not need was made available to the local people. A stone carved with the word ‘Jubilee’ (probably referring to Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee in 1897) is all that remains of the water tank. This stone was originally inserted at the top of the brickwork of the tank. The pump fell into disuse in 1905 when mains water was provided for the Town.

It seems that there was a similar system on the Land Yeo for pumping water to Tickenham from a borehole, powered by the water mill at Middletown, with the water pumped to tanks at Cadbury camp from a well in Tickenham Court (David Stacey, personal communication).The Mill at Tickenham is sited on a fault line which gives a 12 feet head from an over shot or high breast shot wheel. Mills have probably been located on this site since 1148 when the canons of the Augustinian Priory in Bristol were granted the patronage of Tickenham. The mill is now a private dwelling house.

Some of the mines were used as a source of water. The shaft at Engine Pit on the site of the Garden of Rest extension (Pennant 30, p7) was said to supply the neighbouring cottages with water.

Gas arising from ponds

Bubbles arising in one of the ponds in the carr at Moorend Spout. Similar bubbles are found in other spring-fed ponds in this area.

The pond in Towerhouse Wood (ST 475 719) is well known for the production of gas bubbles apparently associated with the spring water that fed the pond. Analysis by British Gas showed that this gas was mainly air with 8% of carbon dioxide. An investigation by Sarah Davies of the Environment Agency (EA) in 2008 showed that the temperature of the water in the vicinity of the springs was 2ºC higher than that of the surrounding water.

This may not be so surprising in view of the hot springs that are found at Bath and also in Hotwells Road in Bristol. Although this may seems to be a small differential, I understand from the EA that in this area any water emerging as a spring with a temperature in excess of 10ºC is likely to be of thermal origin. The results therefore seem to be in agreement with a ‘hot rock’ hypothesis for the production of the bubbles (See Pennant 28, p.20). A pond in the carr at Moorend Spout similarly produces large gushes of bubbles at intervals (see photograph above). The occurrence of hot rocks close to the surface in this area might increase the prospect of a source of geothermal energy. Such heat source has been used in many places in the world, and which has been exploited in Southampton.

British Gas used a mass spectrometer to measure the ratio of carbon 12 to carbon 13. This ratio can be used to establish the origin of the carbon dioxide. In this case, the gas was relatively recently produced, probably by bacterial decay, rather than from the coal deposits under Nailsea. There was no evidence for the presence of methane or other hydrocarbons.

The results of the analysis by the Environment Agency were as follows –

Temp (ºC)

Conductivity (μSiemens/cm)

Salinity (parts/1000)

Oxygen (mg/ litre)

pH

Vicinity of Bubbles

12.75

775

0.38

56.2

7.26

Elsewhere in pond

10.78

819

0.40

58.3

7.33

Stream inflow

10.55

825

0.41

57.6

7.35

One theory for the production of these bubbles depends on the water travelling a long distance and passing through hot rocks, but the true origin of these bubbles is still not established (Possible mechanisms are discussed in the book ‘The Natural History of Nailsea’ by Terry Smith p.8).

The exsolved gas in the spring water at the Roman Baths contains 96% nitrogen and 3.5% carbon dioxide; there are also traces of radioactive gases. The oxygen has probably been depleted by oxidation of marcasite, pyrite and siderite during its passage underground. The ratio of the gases therefore depends on the character of the rocks through which it flows. Radioactive gases like radon may arise from granitic rocks as a decomposition product of radium. No trace of these was found in the water at Towerhouse Wood, although significant amounts can be found in some areas around Nailsea, with 5- 10% of homes above the action level.

Moorend Spout

The Nailsea Environment & Wildlife Trust (NEWT) now owns the six acres of land (ST466 715) adjacent to Moorend Spout, a short distance to the west of Jacklands Bridge. The trust, which is a registered charity, manages this as a nature reserve (see www.newt.btck.co.uk). There are many springs to the west of the site within the wet woodland (carr), which is composed mainly of willow and alder. The spout may refer to the weir adjacent to the public footpath, although there is some disagreement in the literature on this, and the name may refer to a spring of water which cannot now be identified. A certain Dr White, well known for his long beard and iron leg, who lived in Nailsea was said to send his patients to bathe in the ‘spout’ (or waterfall) to cure various illnesses (‘The Nailsea I Knew’, Jack Hart, 1977).

Photograph of a picture post card showing the sluice at Moorend Spout, posted in 1931

To the east of Moorend Spout is a Trout Farm, where the water is sourced from a natural spring. ‘Jacklands’ may be a corruption of the words ‘Jack O’Lantern’ (Pennant 40 p.6) with reference to the marsh gas (methane) that was probably found in that area. To the west is an area of unimproved moorland with stands of Reedmace (Bulrushes, Typha latifolia).

Planning permission has been granted for the installation of 5 ponds at Moorend Spout (application no 11/P/0599/F). It was hoped that these ponds would be filled naturally from ground water, so it was disappointing to find that the water table at Moorend Spout can be quite low, at least 1 metre below ground level. It now seems that these ponds will have to be lined, which adds to their cost. The Land Yeo runs at a much higher level than the field since it was constructed as a leat by the Augustinian Monks for their mill at Middletown in Tickenham in the 12th century, and also to ferry the corn to their granary in Bristol. The river does not therefore run on the lowest point of the valley floor.

Hopefully NEWT can draw water from the river for filling the ponds, since as riparian land owners, there is a right to take 20 cubic metres per day from the river.

Some of the springs that arise at the foot of the Land Yeo embankment and in the carr may result from a leakage of the water from the Land Yeo, although it seems more likely that they arise from water percolating under the river from rain falling on the adjacent hills.

The pond in the carr is a swamp and it could trap the unwary. Several volunteers working on the nature reserve have found it difficult to extricate themselves from the mud. It could be quite difficult to escape if working alone. There seems to be no firm base to the ponds so the most dangerous pools have been covered with dead hedging. There is a record of a possible fatal entrapment in 1959 (See Somerset Magazine, August 1999).

Some of the water that originally flowed in the field is ducted in a pipe about 2 metres below the surface, now known as Jackland’s Tunnel. This drain carries quite a large quantity of water, which apparently originates at the sluice on the Clevedon Road. There are (at least) two inspection shafts (one is in the six acre field that belongs to NEWT, see photograph). This drain was laid in 1804 when much of the marsh was drained. The style of the ironwork above the shafts supports the suggestion that they are very old. The tunnel (marked Jacklands Tunnell, sic.) is shown in the map on page 40 of the book by David Franks, (The Story of Tickenham, 2000).

The height of the water table may be also reduced by Jackland’s Tunnel, which acts as an efficient drain.

Streams

Many minor watercourses in Nailsea were largely lost with the development of the new town in the early 1970s when the population grew from 3000 to its present size of about 20,000 accompanied by the establishment of several large housing estates.In 1965 there was a stream running along the eastern boundary of the Nailsea School playing

In 1965 there was a stream running along the eastern boundary of the Nailsea School playing field at the back of Horwood Road which then turned west along the field boundary. Part of the stream was opened up to make the small pond for the school ‘Field & Stream Club’. The stream then ran parallel with what is now Stockway South, at the bottom of the bank on the south side, below Valley Gardens. The stream lined up with a pond west of the Mizzymead Farm track from Silver Street at the east end of Meadway Avenue. This was well before the car parks were built. On the tithe map, a stream arises along the line of Greenhill Close, at the other end of Meadway Avenue, below the line of Silver Street. The stream line follows the northern valley/fault line and joins the stream below the Whitesfield allotments at the bottom of Kingshill. The stream is now ducted as the overflow from the Nailsea School pond. Many similar streams were diverted to culverts and drains, and are now lost.

Conclusion

The recent drought in the South East of England (albeit temporary!) and the much more severe droughts in other parts of the World suggest that we should treat water as a finite commodity, to be used in a sustainable way. It has been suggested that global warming is causing extreme weather events, leading to drought or flood. The expanding world population is also putting pressure on our water reserves, giving rise to the prospect of conflict on a global scale over water resources. Knowledge of the past history of water usage can help us to appreciate the factors which are likely to confront future generations and help us to plan for the improvement of our life on this planet.

Nailsea / Uganda Water Project

Nailsea is raising money to support a water conservation scheme in Uganda (nuwaterproject.org.uk ). The aims of the project

The aims of the project are :

To provide a safe water supply and sustainable sanitation infrastructure for six rural villages in Muhabura Diocese/Kisoro District to improve their general health through the reduction of water borne diseases.
This will be achieved by
A) Providing training in the construction of rain water harvest tanks for households and some public institutions like schools and health facilities. The project will help with purchasing special equipment such as taps, pipes and cement.
B) Providing training in the communities in preparation and support for the improved safe water and sanitation services. This will include the promotion of hygiene, sanitation and behavioural change
C) Providing facilities and training to the local Technical Team in the modern technologies and management strategies for efficient and effective management and implementation of water projects.

To contribute to the protection of the environment through resources protection and the use of appropriate technologies in water and sanitation interventions.

To free people from the burden of collecting water from a distant source and improve the socio-economic situation and the opportunities for the people living in these rural communities.

]]>History of Moorend Spout Nature Reservehttp://www.nailseanature.org.uk/2016/11/17/history-moorend-spout/
Thu, 17 Nov 2016 22:14:08 +0000http://www.nailseanature.org.uk/?p=467The Origin of the Nailsea Environment & Wildlife Trust About 40 years ago when my son was at primary school in Pound Lane in Nailsea, he used to come home with stories of going to a place called Moorend Spout in a field not far away where he and his friends would play games and catch sticklebacks. He was so enthusiastic about this that I decided to have a look for myself. I found a clapper bridge made of slabs...

]]>The Origin of the Nailsea Environment & Wildlife Trust
Photograph of a picture post card showing the sluice at Moorend Spout posted in 1931. The text reads ‘Letter received safely. Hope the cream arrived in good condition. This is a very favorite spot with children. Hope both well. Yours W’.

About 40 years ago when my son was at primary school in Pound Lane in Nailsea, he used to come home with stories of going to a place called Moorend Spout in a field not far away where he and his friends would play games and catch sticklebacks. He was so enthusiastic about this that I decided to have a look for myself. I found a clapper bridge made of slabs of sandstone above a pretty waterfall, surrounded by an untouched wilderness – an ideal place for childhood games. Eight years ago I wondered how it might be possible to preserve this area as a wildlife site and as an amenity for the community.
I eventually managed to contact the owner to express an interest in buying her six acre field. This included the wooded area mainly containing willow and alder trees, a small wet woodland known locally as a Carr.
In order to encourage recycling and to reduce landfill the Government introduced a scheme imposing the payment of a tax (at present over £80 per tonne) which could be reclaimed by local groups to support wildlife and biodiversity. We submitted a detailed proposal to YANSEC (Yanley and North Somerset Environmental Company), the local administrators of the Landfill Communities Tax, and we established a trust with seven trustees in the hope that we could obtain funding from this source.

Clearing one of the ponds in the carr at Moorend Spout. (A carr is a wet woodland, usually with willow and alder). This pond is more like a swamp and it can be dangerous!

The trustees come from a wide background of expertise. At present we have Ian Chambers (from the Backwell Environment Trust), Rosemary Dennis (retired from banking), Helen Iorwerth (with special skills in mapping), Tim Southwood (a former local GP), Hilary West (from the Avon Wildlife Trust) and Mike Woodley (a builder). We have now established a group (Nailsea Environment & Wildlife Trust, NEWT) as a registered charity, with the objective ‘to advance the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment’.

After submitting a detailed proposal to North Somerset Council and following a visit by the Environment Agency, we were given planning permission for the installation of five large ponds on the field. Excavation for the first, located in the NE corner of the field was completed in 2013. and the second to the south was finished in 2015.

Our first Newt, justifying the name of our group!Photograph by Rosemary Dennis 29/04/2015

Although the field is wet, we found that the water table is usually at a depth of 50 – 100 cm below ground level. We wanted our ponds to be up to one metre deep, but using liners was quite expensive. We therefore wondered if it would be possible to siphon water from the Land Yeo which flows at a level well above the field. As riparian owners we are allowed to take up to 20 cubic metres of water /day. This method proved to be quite successful and, so far, the water level in the ponds has been well maintained. Sometimes, especially during the summer, the flow of water through the siphon is insufficient to maintain the water levels. We have then had help from the fire brigade to pump water from the river. Their headquarters are only a short distance away and they have treated this as an exercise. We are also very grateful for their help in the irrigation of some of our newly planted trees.

As we had some money remaining after the purchase of the

The opening of the new boardwalk at Moorend Spout August 2010

field we decided to install a board walk along the first section of the footpath, which could be quite muddy at times. Water from the springs in the Carr now flows under the boards. The Nailsea footpath group found that the boards could be quite slippery, and they paid the cost of adding wire mesh on the surface which made the path much safer.

Oil pipes and the ‘Tunnel’

MoD kerosene pipes crossing the Land Yeo. These pipes run the length of our field.

Set in the fences at the East and West of the reserve there are some white-painted concrete posts spanning a width of about 5 metres. These mark the line of 5 pipes that were buried in the field in the nineteen-fifties, at the time of the so-called ‘cold war’. As there was the prospect that we might need to deploy a large number of defensive aircraft at that time, several fuel bunkers were installed across the country. One of these was at Flax Bourton, storing aviation fuel which was imported in tankers arriving at Redcliff Bay, where there are also several large bunkers.

The pipes have recently been refurbished at this point (- hoto by Hilary West)

The pipes on our site were part of a large network crossing the country. The ministry of defence is keeping these pipes in case they are needed in the future at a time of national emergency. These pipes are probably empty at present or filled with water. The presence of these pipes means that some of our activities are restricted. For example we are not allowed to plant trees, nor do any digging within 3 metres of the pipes. Also running the length of our field there is a major drain known as Jackland’s Tunnel, which carries a large volume of water, This was probably installed as part of a drainage system added in the 18th century. There is an inspection shaft in our field and another in the field to the east. This drain originates at Jackland’s Bridge, where the mill race starts on the Land Yeo, but we are still uncertain how it enters the rhyne system to the west.

Swamp

The carr is like a swamp and it can be dangerous. Several springs arise

Flooded field at Moorend Spout 06/10/2012Moorend Spout is in the flood plain

there, making the ground very wet, and some of our volunteers have found themselves trapped in the mud, needing assistance to be released. There was a report of a possible mortality in the last century (see NEWT Newsletter no 9). I have fallen in the water there while I was alone; making the discovery that mobile phones will not work after being submerged! Some of the ponds produce bubbles of gas like those in the well-known bubbling pond in Towerhouse Wood (http://www.nailseanature.org.uk).

Trees and Ponds

Conservation grazing by Dexter cattle. 01/11/2014

We have planted two substantial trees in the SE corner of our field, notably an Aspen, in memory of Phyllis Stacey who had left £2000 to NEWT in her will, and a Black Poplar to celebrate the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation.

Trees have also been planted to the east of the carr, although they are growing slowly due to the competition from the grasses. Recently we have transplanted some self-sown Alder seedlings from the carr to shade the area to the south of the second pond.

The Ash tree to the west of the site will probably be killed by wilt, so we have planted a replacement Sycamore close by. Some of the trees that we had planted on the embankment of the Land Yeo have been moved at the request of the Environment Agency as it was thought that they could destabilize the soil. The hedge on the eastern boundary was planted by KPMG (in pouring rain!) as a team-bonding exercise.

The first pond at Moorend spout created in 2013Banded DemoiselleThis damselfly is abundant at Moorend SpoutWe have adopted the Banded Demoiselle for our logo.

Wild Flower Meadow

Surveying the flora in the Six Acre Field

Just after the Second World War I can remember my father taking the family into the countryside where we were able to lie in fields full of the most beautiful wild flowers, as most meadows were in those days. There were enormous ant-hills, and he showed me a Skylark’s nest amongst the grass, complete with eggs. I can remember watching the bird singing while flying above the field. It is now many years since I last saw a Skylark – likewise Lapwings and much other such wildlife that epitomized our landscape at that time. This iconic wildlife was lost with agricultural tensification and with the introduction of fertilizers (producing the so- called ‘improved pasture’). There are now very few Skylarks and 90% of our wildflower meadows have disappeared, to be replaced by monocultures of cereals and forage grasses. The decline in the bees in the UK is probably at least in part due to the loss of our flower meadows. Prince Charles had also seen this change and he was determined to try to reverse it. In celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee he suggested that those fields in which the wild flowers remain could be used as the seed source for other sites where the wild flowers had disappeared. Netcott’s Meadow to the north of Backwell Lake is one field near to Nailsea which still remains pristine, and which has many orchid flowers in June and July. This was designated to be a donor site for the so-called Coronation Meadow scheme http://coronationmeadows.org.uk/.

In 2014 the Avon Wildlife Trust (AWT) asked us (NEWT) if we would be willing to develop our field as a wild flower meadow (a recipient site) using seed harvested from Netcott’s. The hay was scattered over our field after harrowing the ground. AWT also organized the planting of soil plugs containing wild flower plants. With finance from BIFFA administered by the Avon Wildlife Trust, our field was fenced prior to the introduction of a herd of Dexter cows. This is the basis of ‘conservation grazing’ which is beneficial for the establishment of wild flowers.

The Augustinians

Aerial view of Moorend Spout in 1947The dashed yellow line marks the Tickenham – Nailsea parish boundary. The trees to the south of the field have now been lost.

Water mills have probably been located on this site since 1148. The Land Yeo was ducted in a leete almost certainly constructed by the Augustinians. Cadbury Camp on Tickenham Ridge was another example of the industrious inhabitants of Tickenham. The Mill at Middletown in Tickenham is sited on a fault line which gives a 12 feet head from an over shot or high breast shot wheel.

The Mill was purchased by Lady Smyth of Ashton Court, and converted to a pump to supply water to her farms. The water was pumped to tanks at CadburyCamp from a well in Tickenham Court. The mill is now a private dwelling house. St Augustine’s Abbey in Bristol was founded in 1148, later to become the Cathedral. At that time Robert FitzHarding marked the founding of the Abbey and Monastery by granting the Abbot the patronage of Tickenham, and the Mill was constructed soon after. Surprisingly I have not found a direct reference to the involvement of the Augustinians with Tickenham church. Their monastery was sited on College Green in Bristol, and the presence of the Augustinians is recognized by place names in Bristol, like St Augustine’s parade.

Woodspring Priory Built by the Augustinians and occupied by them 1210 – 1536

Other activities

This refers to a bridge close to Tickenham Church. A notice showing the designation of the SSSI status for the rhynes in this area is nearby Photograph by HilaryWest and Christopher Smith

In the latter part of the 19th century, a school was held by Dame Bassett in a cottage near Jackland’s Bridge. It was closed in 1880. The Trout Farm was established in c1985 by Harry Waygood, a former gamekeeper. The farm came under new ownership in 2009 Tickenham court, lying close to the Church of St Quiricus and St Julietta, was home to Eleanor Glanville (b 1650), a pioneer entomologist. After a tempestuous marriage during which she was threatened to be shot by her husband, she was thought to be insane due to her interest in the study of insects. However, she was well in advance of her time, becoming adept in breeding butterflies and moths through their full life cycle. She was also the first to recognize the butterfly now known as the Glanville Fritillary which is sometimes found at Sandpoint. This was not far from Woodspring Priory, which was an Augustinian house and had St Thomas the Martyr as a patron saint. The priory was suppressed in 1536.

Many years ago Dr John White, a local GP, was known to tell his patients with injuries to go to Moorend spout and bathe in the waterfall. The success of this treatment is unknown.

Conclusion

In establishing this nature reserve we believe that we can at least in a small way redress the loss of wildlife in our countryside. We will probably not see the benefits from this project in our lifetimes, but we hope that future generations will be willing to continue our work and appreciate the biodiversity that this site will preserve. We already have Otters and Kingfishers, in addition to many species of flowers and insects. We have adopted the banded demoiselle in our logo and there are many other dragonflies and damselflies. There are records of Eels in the river and we have found Signal Crayfish, which probably escaped from the Trout Farm.

We are grateful to many for financial support, in addition to those mentioned in the text -. notably Nailsea Town Council, North Somerset Council, The Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, The Marsh Christian Trust, Wessex Water, Bristol Airport, Bristol Ornithological Club, Bristol Naturalists’ Society, Nailsea Footpath Group and to many private individuals.
We have many loyal volunteers who help us to manage the site. We offer them free hot drinks and delicious home-made cakes, and we provide the equipment. We meet regularly on the first Saturday of each month at 10 am in Pound Lane, close to the entrance which is signposted to the Moorend Spout footpath, near to Ravenswood School. If there is any doubt about the weather we advise you to phone us before coming.
This project would not succeed without the hard work of our trustees and volunteers.
I am grateful to David Franks (Stone Edge Barn, author of ‘The Story of Tickenham, Somersetshire’) for his contributions to this article. Information on the activities of the Augustinians was kindly provided by James Bond. Further information may be found in the book ‘The Nailsea I knew’ by Jack Hart (1977)

]]>Tree Health – November 2015http://www.nailseanature.org.uk/2016/11/17/tree-health-november-2015/
Thu, 17 Nov 2016 22:07:00 +0000http://www.nailseanature.org.uk/?p=465This account is based on a presentation given by Dom Collins of FERA, organised by the Woodland Trust. It was held at Ashton Court Bristol on 26th September 2015. Much publicity has been given to Ash Wilt disease caused by Chalara fraxinea. This has now been found close to Glastonbury and Radstock, and it seems inevitable that it will eventually devastate the Ash trees around Bristol. Perhaps of even greater significance to the Ash tree is the invasion by the...

]]>This account is based on a presentation given by Dom Collins of FERA, organised by the Woodland Trust. It was held at Ashton Court Bristol on 26th September 2015.

Much publicity has been given to Ash Wilt disease caused by Chalara fraxinea. This has now been found close to Glastonbury and Radstock, and it seems inevitable that it will eventually devastate the Ash trees around Bristol. Perhaps of even greater significance to the Ash tree is the invasion by the beetle the Emerald Ash borer. (Agrilus planipennis) (http://www.forestry.gov.uk/emeraldashborer ). This beetle leaves ‘D’ shaped exit holes in the bark of the Ash tree. Affected trees develop strong epicormic growth. Any sightings of this (or of other pests and diseases) should be reported to ‘Observatree’, a collaborative project between Forest Research, the Forestry Commission, APHA, Defra, Fera, the National Trust, Natural Resources Wales and the Woodland Trust.

Mountain Ash (also called Rowan, Sorbus aucuparia) is an important amenity tree which is susceptible to the disease Mountain Ash Ring Spot Virus. http://www.observatree.org.uk/portal/european-mountain-ash-associated-ringspot-virus /This causes circular and linear lesions on the leaves leading to the decline and eventual death of the tree. Although the pathogenesis of the disease is still not fully understood, the genome of the virus has been fully sequenced, The disease appears to be confined to Rowan and the vectors are likely to be mites of the Eriophyid genus.

Two species of introduced longhorn beetle have been especially destructive. Notification of recent isolated cases necessitated the destruction of trees in the vicinity in order to confine the insects. The Citrus Longhorn beetle (Anoplophora chinensis) http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/animals/citrusbeetle.shtml and the Asian Longhorn Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) http://www.forestry.gov.uk/asianlonghornbeetle originate in East Asia and have been imported on timber.

The Pine Processionary Moth http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pineprocessionarymoth is not yet established in the UK although it is widespread around the Mediterranean..It appears that only members of the genus Pinus are susceptible, but attacks can cause complete defoliation.

The Oak Processionary Moth http://www.forestry.gov.uk/oakprocessionarymoth attacks many species of oak sometimes causing complete defoliation. The caterpillars also carry irritating hairs which can cause serious health problems for humans. Many records have been made in the vicinity of London. The following health precautions for both Oak and Pine processionary moth caterpillars are given by the forestry commission.

Do not touch or approach nests or caterpillars

Do not let children touch or approach nests or caterpillars

Do not let animals touch or approach nests or caterpillars

Do not try removing nests or caterpillars yourself
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/oakprocessionarymoth#threat

Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner http://www.forestry.gov.uk/horsechestnutleafminer , first found in the UK in 2002 is now well established. It is caused by the micro-moth Camereria ohridella. Although the appearance of the trees is spoiled by the dying leaves, fortunately the trees recover well in subsequent years. However they are undoubtedly weakened and are then susceptible to other pests or diseases.

The Oriental Chestnut Gall Wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilus) http://forestry.gov.uk/gallwasp causes leaf distortion of the Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa). The galls are formed on the midrib or the petiole of the leaves, causing infected leaves or twigs to die.

]]>The Glanville Fritillaryhttp://www.nailseanature.org.uk/2016/11/17/the-glanville-fritillary/
Thu, 17 Nov 2016 22:01:46 +0000http://www.nailseanature.org.uk/?p=463Tickenham Court, built in about 1400, lies 1 km to the west of Moorend Spout (ST347715). This grade II listed building, which is now owned by Stewart Plant, is celebrated as the ancestral home of Eleanor Glanville (b. 1654), a pioneer entomologist. Eleanor was the daughter of a Roundhead major, William Goodricke, who left her a considerable fortune on his death. Within this legacy she inherited Tickenham Court, and it became her home. Her first husband, Edmund Ashfield, died young...

Tickenham Court, built in about 1400, lies 1 km to the west of Moorend Spout (ST347715). This grade II listed building, which is now owned by Stewart Plant, is celebrated as the ancestral home of Eleanor Glanville (b. 1654), a pioneer entomologist. Eleanor was the daughter of a Roundhead major, William Goodricke, who left her a considerable fortune on his death. Within this legacy she inherited Tickenham Court, and it became her home. Her first husband, Edmund Ashfield, died young and Eleanor married Richard Glanville a Lincolnshire landowner, but this marriage soon broke down, when Glanville found a new partner. It is said that he was a violent man who once ‘presenting a pistol loaded with bullets and cock’t to her breast’ threatening to shoot her dead. She also reared butterflies and moths and may have been the first to describe Geometrid larvae as ‘loopers’.

Eleanor found solace in the study of wildlife and she was especially interested in butterflies, paying her servants 6d each for those that they found in good condition. At that time, those who were engaged in the study of insects were considered to be mentally ill, and society found this particularly unacceptable as an occupation for females.

Eleanor was corresponding with the newly formed Royal Society (founded 1662) and, in accordance with her interests, she apprenticed her son by her second marriage to an apothecary in London, James Petiver (1663-1718), who is recognised as the father of entomology. Eleanor gave Petiver many specimens which he received gladly. He gave many butterflies the names we now know them by, such as Brimstone, Admiral and Tortoiseshell. Glanville and his mistress did not approve of this apprenticeship and a bitter custody battle followed. Consequently her son was forced to give up his association with Petiver. Apparently no portrait of Eleanor exists, and it is not clear where she was buried. Unfortunately she also left very few written records.

Ribwort Plantain

When Eleanor died in about 1707 she left much of her estate beyond her immediate family. Her son from her first marriage, Forest Ashfield successfully contested her will at Wells assizes in 1712 suggesting that she was deranged, citing her study of insects as proof. Her life has recently been narrated in a (semi-fictional) biography written by Fiona Mountain entitled ‘Lady of the Butterflies’. Eleanor collected many entomological specimens and although these have been greatly depleted by mite predation, a part of her collection is now preserved in the Natural History Museum in London.

In Lincolnshire she was the first to describe the butterfly now known as the Glanville Fritillary in 1702. The larvae of most of the Fritillaries feed on species of wild violets (i.e. High Brown; Pearl Bordered; Small Pearl Bordered; Silver washed; Dark Green; Queen of Spain). Exceptions to this are the Heath Fritillary (Ribwort Plantain, Germander Speedwell); Marsh Fritillary (Devilsbit Scabious) and the Glanville Fritillary (Ribwort Plantain). The latter is distinguished from other Fritillaries by the presence of an arc of light coloured spots on the upper surface of the lower wing, each of which has an inserted black spot (see photograph above, taken in 2009).

The Glanville Fritillary is widespread in continental Europe, but its distribution has become restricted in England. It is primarily confined to the Isle of Wight and its environs. The butterfly was probably the subject of various introductions to Sand Point (ST320660) in North Somerset, not far from Woodspring Priory, where it now appears to be established. There are several other sporadic records of its occurrence in this area.

Although this article has been produced in good faith, some of the information here is derived from various websites. I apologize if I have made mistakes, I trust that I can be told and hopefully I can make corrections. In particular I am grateful to Tony Smith and Ray Barnett for their invaluable help in writing this article.

]]>Why we should eat less meathttp://www.nailseanature.org.uk/2016/11/17/eat-less-meat/
Thu, 17 Nov 2016 21:57:37 +0000http://www.nailseanature.org.uk/?p=461Why I am (semi) vegetarian Meaning – well, I’m not entirely vegetarian! I do eat the occasional piece of fish – mackerel or a sardine, and (free range) eggs – and I am definitely not vegan, I eat almost entirely plant- or fungus- (Quorn) derived food, in part because I enjoy it, but there are several other reasons – mainly as I care for the environment and for ethical standards in animal husbandry. I have serious reservations about the way...

Meaning – well, I’m not entirely vegetarian! I do eat the occasional piece of fish – mackerel or a sardine, and (free range) eggs – and I am definitely not vegan, I eat almost entirely plant- or fungus- (Quorn) derived food, in part because I enjoy it, but there are several other reasons – mainly as I care for the environment and for ethical standards in animal husbandry. I have serious reservations about the way in which animals may be treated in order to increase productivity. Factory farming is still used widely across the world. Even in the UK, chickens and pigs, for example, may be kept in cramped conditions. The long distance transport of live animals can cause much needless distress.

Having seen on TV a little of what happens in abattoirs and in the ‘humane’ killing of chickens, I am not convinced that good standards are always being applied to the welfare of animals for human consumption in this country, If we knew more about this process, I believe that we would not have the same appetite for eating animal-derived foods.

Plants utilize light energy from the sun by photosynthesis to produce proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and all of the other organic components of which they are formed. Amongst farm animals, chickens have probably the best efficiency, about 40 – 50%, for the conversion of plant products into animal protein. Cows have a much lower efficiency, probably 10 – 20%. Therefore much of the plant protein consumed by animals is lost. Even now we are finding that it is difficult to feed the world population of 6 billion, yet in 50 years time this is likely to rise to 9 billion, – an extra two mouths each second.

In order to satisfy the demands of people for cheap burgers, much of the Earth’s wilderness is being sacrificed, to be replaced by large areas of pasture, especially in South America.

Forests are being felled to create grazing pasture and to grow plants for cattle feed. Methane, the very powerful greenhouse gas is produced in large amounts by the microbial activity in the digestive processes in cattle. Many of the ingredients needed for vegetarian food need no refrigeration, with consequent energy conservation and less dependence on CFCs, which again are powerful greenhouse gases. Beans, rice, and pasta will store for many years on a shelf in the dry form at room temperature.

Several serious diseases may be shared with animals. The recent cases of Asian flu are clearly associated with chickens, and we have had several outbreaks of this potentially lethal virus in the UK. Moreover, the strain H5N1 has the potential to develop into a pandemic. The recent concern over the incidence of bovine TB still threatens the survival of our badger population, even though this form of TB may not present any direct threat to humans.. The irresponsible feeding of cattle with the remains of other animals was almost certainly the cause of the so-called mad cow disease and of the outbreak of the new variant Creutzfeld Jacob disease that has so far killed 164 people in the UK. Cattle also cause much of the organic pollution in our water, derived from slurry disposal, to the detriment of the wildlife in our waterways. The widespread use of antibiotics in animal husbandry contributes to the development of bacteria resistant to the antibiotics for which our present medical procedures are essential.

Some parts of dead animals are used for non-food purposes, like leather, but there are usually alternatives for these products. At present cows produce much of our protein in the form of milk, yet soy milk is a very similar product. Vegetarians should be aware of the potential for iron deficiency and certain essential protein amino acids may be in lower concentrations in plant-derived food, although the levels in leguminous seeds can usually be adequate. Even the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids that are derived from certain oily fish, may soon be provided by GM plants. Animal foods cannot provide the fibre, essential for our health that is a major component of plant-derived foods.

Our ancestors were notorious meat eaters, but times change. Here I am trying to suggest that we should now be aware of our present problems of overpopulation, depletion of energy resources, global warming and the loss of wildlife, which may be made worse by our addiction to meat.

]]>Nailsea Historical Heritage Maphttp://www.nailseanature.org.uk/2016/11/17/nailsea-historical-heritage-map/
Thu, 17 Nov 2016 21:52:15 +0000http://www.nailseanature.org.uk/?p=457Some of these sites are in Tickenham, Wraxall or Backwell parishes Click here to download the PDF file (The map and the text) for printout The Land Yeo is ducted as a leat, raising the level of the river well above the adjoining fields. The embankments for this were probably constructed in the 14th Century by the Augustinian Monks for their mill at Middleton in Tickenham Towerhouse Wood is ancient woodland purchased by the Woodland Trust in 1992. It contains...

The Land Yeo is ducted as a leat, raising the level of the river well above the adjoining fields. The embankments for this were probably constructed in the 14th Century by the Augustinian Monks for their mill at Middleton in Tickenham

Towerhouse Wood is ancient woodland purchased by the Woodland Trust in 1992. It contains a lime kiln (dated before 1750). In the field to the south are the remains of a seasonal Mesolithic encampment dating back 6000 years, with many worked flints. A short distance to the east, an Iron Age bronze torque was found in 1837

The Roman Villa, noted for its under-floor heating and mosaic floor, was largely vandalised in the19th century. Much of the stonework was incorporated into local buildings.

Birdcombe Court A private chapel was built here in 1331, later coming under the ownership of a dissolute youth, who wasted much of his inheritance by gaming and betting. The building is still extant.

Coate’s Cider Factory working from 1925 to 1974. It had over 100 Oak vats.

Wraxall Mill is one of several on the Land Yeo, most of which have now disappeared; none remain in working order.

Tyntesfield house owned by the National Trust is the well-preserved residence of the Gibbs family, who made a fortune by marketing bat and bird droppings (guano) mined in Peru as an agricultural fertilizer.

Wraxall Church of All Saints dates from 1220

Remains of the Mediaeval Village now only to be seen as undulations on the surface of the field. This is under the protection of English Heritage.

Whelps Place close to the Mediaeval Village and now in ruins, was a kennels for hunting dogs

Old Glassworks founded by John Robert Lucas in 1788. Initially there were two cones – one for bottle making, the other for the production of window glass. Both were demolished in 1905

The Engine House remaining on Scotch Horn.

Middle Engine Pit The best example of an 18th Century pit head in the UK, now protected by English Heritage.

The Pennant Sandstone quarry at Trendlewood has now been incorporated into Trendlewood Park, owned by North Somerset Council, and managed locally. The woodland is being restored to encourage the wildlife.

Holes in the wall (six, about 1” diameter) which probably held rings used for tethering the pit ponies

East End Pit is marked as a pile of spoil planted with native trees, and which now abounds in wildlife. This is near East End House and close by is East End Farm, now better known as the Farmhouse Pub, dating from 1665.

Water Tower built with the remains of Bucklands Batch pit, now in a private garden

Borrow Pits were holes left when ballast was excavated in 1840 for the Great Western Railway embankment.

Nailsea Court is a Grade 1 listed Jacobean mansion house within a private country estate.

Coombe Grange Farm, formerly Smokey Hole, is the oldest of the surviving farmhouses along Youngwood Lane.

The Tithe barn dates from around 1480. It was a basic agricultural barn for storing crops taken as taxes by the Church. The Barn has since been significantly modified over 500 years and converted to use as a school in 1789. It is now a community centre and houses the offices of Nailsea Town Council. With funding by the Heritage Lottery Fund a full restoration and expansion of the Barn was completed in 2011. Holy Trinity Church may date back to the 14th century.

Tall Cottage A converted engine house built before 1750 as part of the Shallow Grove Coal Pit

King’s Hill Farm When its thatched roof was replaced a receipt was found possibly indicating that some of Cromwell’s Commonwealth Troops lodged here in 1643. John Whiting’s Cottage is the earliest Quaker Meeting House in North Somerset. Here lived John and Mary Whiting, very early members of the Society of Friends (Quakers), who were imprisoned for their beliefs several times from 1679

The Crucible is one of the few manufacturing artefacts remaining from the major glass industry in Nailsea. This was used in the Glassworks to produce cullet. It is now on the Village Green where it serves as a planter.

Christ Church was built in 1840 to a design by George Gilbert Scott

Stockway North Pennant Sandstone quarry is now managed as a nature reserve and used as an educational facility. This contains a variety of wildlife and a large pond, which attracts many dragonflies and amphibians

Moorend Spout is a small waterfall flowing from Jacklands Rhyne into the Middle Yeo, traversed by the main Nailsea / Tickenham public footpath. Parallel to the new footbridge is the old clapper bridge. The nature reserve here is managed by the Nailsea Environment & Wildlife Trust.

Tickenham Church of St Quiricus and St Julietta. There is an 11th century Norman chancel archway. The font dates from around 1300.

Please send corrections to Terry Smith ( contact form ) 24/01/2012
Some of the sites shown are on private ground and may not be seen by the public.

]]>Nature Reserves around Nailseahttp://www.nailseanature.org.uk/2016/11/17/nature-reserves-around-nailsea/
Thu, 17 Nov 2016 21:47:00 +0000http://www.nailseanature.org.uk/?p=455The town of Nailsea (population about 20,000) grew from a small village in the 1980s. Many of the inhabitants work in the city of Bristol that is about 12km away. Although much of our countryside was used for building new houses, some areas are still relatively undisturbed and remain as havens for wildlife. Some of the nature reserves around Nailsea that are open to the public. See Wikipedia: Nature Reserves in Nailsea Moorend Spout Nature Reserve (ST466715) www.newt.btck.co.uk Moorend Spout...

]]>The town of Nailsea (population about 20,000) grew from a small village in the 1980s. Many of the inhabitants work in the city of Bristol that is about 12km away. Although much of our countryside was used for building new houses, some areas are still relatively undisturbed and remain as havens for wildlife.

Moorend Spout Nature Reserve (ST466715)

Moorend Spout Nature Reserve (ST466715), accessed from Pound Lane, was purchased in 2009 with a grant from the Landfill Communities Fund. This wet meadow lies between the Land Yeo and Jacklands Rhyne. Many springs arise in the small woodland, and a waterfall flows under a bridge carrying the public footpath. It is now owned and managed by Nailsea Environment and Wildlife Trust (NEWT). Many insects including dragonflies and damselflies can be seen, together with Kingfishers and Otters.

Netcott’s Meadow (ST476695)

Netcott’s Meadow (ST476695) which is a small area of grassland to the North of Backwell Lake, now managed by the Avon Wildlife Trust, accessible to the public from the footpath close to the Lake. It has abundant wild flowers best seen in early June, and Common Spotted, Bee, and Green-winged Orchids grow here. (www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/netcotts_meadow.htm)

Stockway North Nature Reserve (ST472708) is in a 19th Century Pennant Sandstone quarry behind the Garden of Rest. After being filled with domestic refuse in the early 20th Century, this was neglected, and with natural regeneration it was occupied by local wildlife. Work to restore the site started in 1996. With financial assistance from Nailsea Town Council and North Somerset Council, a group, The Friends of Stockway North Nature Reserve, was formed in 1998 to manage this land, to raise awareness of the public to the natural environment, and as a teaching resource.

Backwell Lake (ST478694)

Backwell Lake (ST478694) was constructed by Wessex Water and came into use in 1978 as a balancing pond to control the surface water between the Weston-super-Mare to Bristol railway line and the new estates built to the south of Nailsea. The lake is about 2 metres deep and occupies an area of about 4 hectares. It is now a significant wildlife site, designated as a Local Nature Reserve, attracting many water birds. The Lake is open to the public and it is used by many people for walking, dog exercise, bird watching and fishing. (www.avonlocalnaturereserves.org.uk/reserve.asp?id=21)

Tyntesfield (ST505712)

Tyntesfield (ST505712), formerly the home of the Gibbs family, came on to the market in 2002 and was acquired by the National Trust with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and many local private benefactors. It is surrounded by 200 Ha of gardens, farmland and unspoilt woodland. Much of this still remains to be explored, though it is clear that there is considerable potential for wildlife.

The buildings contain several bat roosts and eight species of bat are known to live in this area, notably the Lesser Horseshoe Bats, which roost in the courtyard. Over 90 individuals of this endangered species have been counted there. Other bat species found include the Greater Horseshoe Bat, Brown Long-eared Bat, Serotine Bat, Whiskered Bat and the two Pipistrelle species.

The female Glow Worms may be seen on a warm June night in the area close to the house at Tyntesfield. These beetles are in rapid decline, probably due to the increase in urban lights that may distract the males. Their food is mainly snails and slugs, which are in plentiful supply in this area. The orchid Autumn Ladies Tresses grows in the lawn outside the main house. (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield)

Nowhere Wood (ST480703)

Nowhere Wood (ST480703), also known as Trendlewood, contains a Pennant Sandstone quarry, abandoned about 1900. Squirrels have built their drays in the trees and at dusk the bats come out to forage. A group, The Friends of Trendlewood Park, has now been established to restore the wood and to encourage the wildlife.

Towerhouse Wood (ST475719)

Towerhouse Wood (ST475719), which is about 1 km to the north of Nailsea, is mainly owned by The Woodland Trust. It is famous for its Bluebells, veteran Oaks and for its pond, which constantly produces bubbles of gas. A large variety of wild animals are found in the Wood, now including Dormice, Roe Deer, Badgers, Squirrels, and bats. A lime kiln marked on a map dated 1769 is in the NW corner of the wood. To the south of the Wood there is a Mesolithic settlement first studied in 1956 which yielded many worked flints

]]>Links to other environmental groupshttp://www.nailseanature.org.uk/2016/11/17/links-environmental-groups/
Thu, 17 Nov 2016 21:35:06 +0000http://www.nailseanature.org.uk/?p=451A list of the other environmental groups in North Somerset England. Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre http://www.brerc.org.uk/ Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre (BRERC) is the central repository for biodiversity and geodiversity data for the ’West of England’ area: the same area as the former county of Avon. The Environmental Network of North Somerset (TENONS) http://www.tenons.org.uk/ The Environmental Network of North Somerset (TENONS) is a networking group, with the purpose of raising levels of awareness of environmental issues in our area....

Avon Wildlife Trust

The leading local charity working for people and wildlife from wildflower meadows to ancient woodlands, from green city corridors to reclaimed wetlands, Avon Wildlife Trust is dedicated to working with local people for local wildlife. We’re supported by over 16,000 members and look after 35 nature reserves and two visitor centres.

Bristol Naturalists’ Society

The Bristol Naturalists’ Society exists to stimulate a greater awareness of natural history and geology in the Bristol area. It is a thriving and friendly Society with something of interest for everybody, young or old, professional or amateur. It is actively involved in a long term programme of education, research and conservation. Each year its talks, trips and publications are enjoyed by hundreds of people wanting to find out more about our Natural World.

The Woodland Trust

http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. We own and care for over 1,000 woods, covering 50,000 acres (20,000 hectares), virtually all of which are open for all to visit.

The Forest of Avon Community Forest

The Forest of Avon Trust is the local charity for trees in and around Bristol. We strongly believe that trees make a huge contribution to our quality of life now and will be even more important in the future.

Cam Valley Wildlife Group

Cam Valley Wildlife Group is an independent, volunteer-run, wildlife group based around Midsomer Norton and Radstock. Our aims are the conservation of local biodiversity, the promoting awareness and understanding of local wildlife, and the encouraging the enjoyment of wildlife. Our activities include a varied events programme, talks, walks, field trips, workshops, social events, survey projects and practical conservation projects.

Kendall Bioresearch Services and Bioshots

]]>Tree Nameshttp://www.nailseanature.org.uk/2016/11/17/tree-names/
Thu, 17 Nov 2016 21:35:05 +0000http://www.nailseanature.org.uk/?p=477On reading the book ‘Trees in Your Ground’ (published by the Tree Council and free to registered Tree Wardens) I was intrigued to find the statement ‘the yew ….. has left relatively few examples of its presence in today’s place names’, and I was able to confirm this on consulting my AA gazetteer. I also found that the BT Telephone Directory indicated that no surnames in this area seemed to be directly related to that tree, despite its wide distribution....

]]>On reading the book ‘Trees in Your Ground’ (published by the Tree Council and free to registered Tree Wardens) I was intrigued to find the statement ‘the yew ….. has left relatively few examples of its presence in today’s place names’, and I was able to confirm this on consulting my AA gazetteer. I also found that the BT Telephone Directory indicated that no surnames in this area seemed to be directly related to that tree, despite its wide distribution. I therefore investigated the associations of other trees with place names and surnames. Not surprisingly, tree- and timber-centred activities were quite frequent in the list – Wood(s), Turner, Woodley (a ‘ley’ is a field), Hewitt, Grove, Thorn(e), Orchard, Hedges, Pollard, Sawyer, Carpenter, Forrest, Twigg(s) and Field. The latter word may be derived from the term ‘felled’ where a clearance had been made. There is but one Thickett but no Spinneys. Haywards in time past were those placed in charge of hedges – hedge wardens.

I’m sure that many additions can be made to this list and I would be grateful for suggestions.

To be more specific, probably the overall winner is ‘Ash’ with surnames like Ashman, Ashby, and place names like Ashbourne and Ashcombe. Oak comes a close second, with Oakley, Oakham, and occupations like Cooper, Barker and Tanner. The Lime tree is well represented with names like Lindley, and even Linnaeus derived his name from his father who owned a field in which three lime trees grew. Beech is not uncommon, and place names like Buckingham and Buckfast probably have this origin. As an aside it may not be commonly known that the word ‘book’ is derived from Beech, and the two words in Swedish are identical. This is because early books were bound in beech boards. Holly, like yew, is rarely used, but more specific references include Rowntree (rowan), Juniper, and there are three Sycamores in the telephone directory, but only one Poplar!

But don’t be misled. All is not quite as it might seem. For instance, the name Ashlands at Portishead is derived from the pulverised fuel ash from the power station on which this development has been built!

]]>Bats in North Somersethttp://www.nailseanature.org.uk/2016/11/17/bats-north-somerset/
Thu, 17 Nov 2016 21:30:33 +0000http://www.nailseanature.org.uk/?p=479Bats have suffered a serious decline in the UK for three main reasons. Firstly, because of the loss of roosts, since modern houses have fewer crevices in which they can hibernate; secondly since the wood preservatives often used there are toxic to bats, and thirdly since the bats resident in the UK feed on moths, beetles and other insects that are now less frequent. Of particular significance is the loss of our tall hedgerows supporting large numbers of insects and...

]]>Bats have suffered a serious decline in the UK for three main reasons.

Firstly, because of the loss of roosts, since modern houses have fewer crevices in which they can hibernate; secondly since the wood preservatives often used there are toxic to bats, and thirdly since the bats resident in the UK feed on moths, beetles and other insects that are now less frequent. Of particular significance is the loss of our tall hedgerows supporting large numbers of insects and along which bats forage. It is therefore important to retain these ancient hedges to help safeguard our bats.

Bats use ultrasonics to locate their prey and to navigate at night, although they have excellent vision. It is possible to identify bats by the frequency of this call, which is normally beyond the range of human hearing. Modern techniques for reducing the frequency to bring it within the audible range include the heterodyne detector and the frequency division detector. Using the latter device it is possible to record the signal and play it back through a computer for the analysis of the frequency spectrum. From the shape and peak of this spectrum, the species of bat can be identified with reasonable certainty.

Of the 16 species of bat commonly found in the UK, two of these, the Lesser- and Greater-Horseshoe bats are particularly threatened, and South West England is the last stronghold of these species. The Horseshoe bats differ from others in the UK by emitting the call through their noses, which have a horseshoe-like shape, while all others emit the call from their mouths.

Probably the most frequent of the bats – the Common Pipistrelle – can still be seen flying around our houses. It is only in the last few years that work at Bristol University has shown that this was being confused with another species that is also quite frequent – the Soprano-Pipistrelle, which is almost identical in appearance, but distinguished on the basis of its ultrasonic call. The Soprano Pipistrelle, as its name implies, has a higher pitched call, and DNA sequencing has now confirmed the distinction of these bats.

As well as the Pipistrelles and Horseshoe bats, Noctule, Serotine and Daubenton’s (the water bat) occur quite often in North Somerset. There is a large colony of Lesser Horseshoe bats at Tyntesfield (National Trust) and special walks are arranged there to allow visitors to watch them emerge from their roost. Other colonies may be found at Brockley, at Chelvey, and at Barrow Hospital where they roost in the underground heating ducts.

To hear the call of the Pipistrelle bats, click here

This recording was made using the Batbox Duet Ultrasound Detector and a Sony MD Recorder. About a quarter of the way through, there is the much slower and lower pitched call of a Noctule bat. It is possible to hear the Pipistrelle feeding buzz on several occasions.
If you have a colony of bats, the North Somerset Wildlife Wardens will be interested to identify and monitor these. Please remember that all bats are now protected species and that it is against the law to disturb or handle them.